Killing Me Softly
by Yoneko Kimishima
Summary: It was though he had taken her pain and transformed it into guitar notes. ONESHOT [Inspired by the song Killing Me Softly] [YusukeKeiko]


**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any related characters.**

_Killing Me Softly_

Night had come and covered the sky with an ebony blanket. In a little café, Keiko Yukimura glanced outside from time to time while inattentively stirring her coffee. It was starting to rain. Keiko leaned her cheek against her hand and sighed. He still hadn't come home yet.

As Keiko continued to observe what was going on outside, she came across a young couple, walking under an umbrella, smiling and laughing the whole while. She envied them. Oh, how she had longed for her relationship to be that simple. The glorious pleasures of a normal, uncomplicated relationship. Keiko had often dreamed of a nice, smooth relationship with the one she loved, but due to certain circumstances, she was certain that it wouldn't happen.

Keiko averted her eyes from the couple and stared into her coffee mug. Why did she have to love him so much? Keiko shook her head. She had to take her mind off of him; it was only making her sad to think of him. To distract herself from further thoughts of her beloved, she listened to the noise around her. There was a quiet buzz of conversation, the crisp, crackling noise of the flames as they burned wooden logs, and there was a distinct sound that Keiko heard above all else. The melodious strumming of guitar strings.

Keiko sat up straight and stared toward the back of the café. There was a single man, sitting on the edge of the small stage where sometimes an unknown band would play. The dark brim of the man's hat shielded his eyes as he continued to play tender, soft notes.

It was beautiful. The pleasant, flowing rhythm of the song captured Keiko's interest. It sounded like the music for a ballad with its quiet little tune. The song was simple, but it still fascinated Keiko as she continued to watch the man playing the song.

As it continued, Keiko felt her eyes begin to water. It was that kind of song that liked to jerk at your heart strings. You know the type. The kind of music that you listen to and it plays a story in your head. With every note, Keiko could feel her emotions sway. She felt the despair, the longing, the hurt feeling that had been intertwined with guitar notes. It was about her. The song was a portrayal of her.

Of course, the man hadn't intended for it to be about Keiko, since she didn't know him. But nonetheless, she felt like the man understood her. She felt he was turning her tears and her pain into beautiful music. The man just kept playing that same, lamenting song; Keiko kept watching. She nearly jumped when the man moved his head up. If it were not for the brim of his hat shielding his eyes, Keiko and the man would have been looking each other in the eye. For a moment–just a moment–Keiko felt like the man was directing this song to her. Was it out of pity that he played this romantic little song, or did he truly know how she felt and what she was going through?

She didn't know. All she did know was that she could relate to the song. As she listened, she envisioned a young couple deeply in love. Then the boy in the relationship says he has to leave. And then she saw the girl, staring out a foggy window pane as she thought of her love. _Yusuke_, thought Keiko as tears spilled from her eyes. It was about them.

This song–this song of pain and heartbreak . . . it was their song. It contained the pain of loving someone so much that it hurt. It contained the pain of loving someone so much that you didn't want to let go. It contained her pain. It contained his pain. The pain that they mutually felt when Yusuke had to leave.

Soon the man finished his little wordless ballad. A few people applauded. Keiko just cried. She cried and cried as more and more thoughts of Yusuke infiltrated her mind. She loved him so much that it hurt. It hurt so much. Her love for him was unwavering. Her love for him could reach to the end of the universe and back. But it hurt. Her love was strong but it made her weak inside. Her love was slowly changing her, destroying her–it was killing her ever so softly.

Keiko tried to get the tears to stop, but only more came. The guitar player got off the stage and began to walk forward. Keiko's vision was blurred from her continuing tears, but she could swear he was walking towards her. He kept walking straight until he reached her table. Keiko didn't look at him. She buried her face in her hands and cried her anguish out. As the tears kept streaming down her cheeks, Keiko felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She felt a coarse hand brush something delicate against her knuckles. Keiko took her face out of her hands.

In between two long fingers was a white tissue. Keiko accepted it gratefully and daubed at her moist eyes. She was facing the torso of the guitarist. She involuntarily recoiled when his hand touched her face. She heard him laugh a bit. The guitarist got on his knees and tilted up the brim of his hat.

Keiko stared in awe. It couldn't be . . .

"Hey, are all these tears for me?" he asked with a warm smile.

Keiko smiled back. "Yusuke . . ."

Yusuke leaned his face in. Their foreheads were touching.

"Was my song that bad?" he joked.

Keiko felt her shoulders shudder with every breath she took. She was tempted to yell at him. Why hadn't he come over and joined her? Why didn't he tell her that he had come back? Why did he let her go through all this suffering while he was gone? ". . . Since when do you play guitar?" was all she managed to say.

"I'm a man of mystery," jested Yusuke as he smirked. He closed his eyes and kissed her.

Time stopped.

It could have been seconds, days, or even years. Nothing else mattered. All that mattered was that Keiko loved Yusuke, and he loved her back. Despite all the pain and heartbreak this love brought her, all the tears and nights of staring at the blank ceiling, all the times she wished that he was home and never had to leave, she wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world. Because she loved him so dearly. Sure, maybe it killed her inside every time they had to part, but it's like the old saying goes: If you have something precious to you, let it go. If it doesn't come back, it was never truly yours." But he came back. Yusuke always came back. He loved her and she loved him. And that was enough.


End file.
